What happened
On September 1, 2014, a Beechcraft B300, registration PR-GEB, was performing a flight from Parintins to Manaus, Brazil. The aircraft was carrying two pilots and nine passengers. During the landing roll on runway 10 at Eduardo Gomes Airport (SBEG), the crew reported a loud bang originating from the left side of the aircraft, immediately followed by a loss of braking performance in the left main landing gear assembly.
The pilot successfully managed to vacate the runway, maneuvering the aircraft to a remote area near the threshold of runway 28. The aircraft sustained light damage to the left brake assembly, and all occupants remained unharmed.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft and the runway environment to identify the cause of the tire burst. A search of the runway for Foreign Object Damage (FOD) yielded no results, and laboratory analysis of the tire by the manufacturer, Goodyear Aviation, was inconclusive regarding manufacturing defects or FOD.
However, investigators noted that the internal tire of the same landing gear assembly was inflated to 93lb. The manufacturer had previously advised the operator to maintain a lower pressure of 90lb, specifically for operations involving high temperatures and unpaved runways. Furthermore, laboratory testing of the ruptured brake hose nipple by the DCTA revealed evidence of overload fatigue, which was consistent with the impact of the tire burst occurring only 6.3 cm away from the hydraulic line.
Additionally, the investigation identified operational discrepancies. Although the aircraft was registered for private use (RBHA 91), it was being operated by crew members from a commercial air taxi company, suggesting an unsanized on-demand passenger service. The aircraft was also found to be carrying nine passengers, exceeding its certified capacity of eight.
Findings
- The primary contributing factor was likely inadequate tire inflation, as the pressure found in the paired tire exceeded the manufacturer's recommended limit for the operating environment.
- The tire burst caused a secondary failure of the left brake system due to overload fatigue on the hydraulic nipple.
- Operational discrepancies were noted regarding the aircraft's passenger capacity and the nature of the flight operation relative to its registration.